LITERARY LAGNIAPPE
UNIVERSITY OF NEW ORLEANS
SPRING 2006
Issue # 34
The word “lagniappe” (pronounced ‘lan
yap’) is a common term used in
Louisiana. It means “a little something
extra.” The literary community of the
University of New Orleans offers our
readers a literary lagniappe–reviews of
recently published children’s books.
Within categories, books are arranged
alphabetically by the author's last name.
NOVELS
Whittington by Alan Armstrong.
Illustrated by S. D. Schindler. Random
House. $14.95. Ages 8-12.
A Newbery Honor book, Whittington
is a charming story of a cat that comes to
live in the barn of Bernie, his wife
Marion, and their orphaned
grandchildren Ben and Emma. Bernie’s
barn is home to the town’s misfit
animals, and Whittington fits in with
them nicely. The barn’s mother duck,
Lady, decides that the group needs to
learn a thing or two. So, through
barnyard story time Whittington tells the
tale of his ancestor Dick Whittington’s
cat, and the trials and travels of Dick.
Back in the barnyard, the animals and
Emma help Ben to tackle his dyslexia
through daily exercises and with plenty
of moral support.
The story weaves back and forth
from the present to the time of the
plague in England and provides a look
into history through the eyes of a strongwilled boy and his loving cat. Readers
learn a bit about love and courage
through these animals that many have
deemed unworthy. All in all, a pleasant
read. –Dawn Murden
The Last Holiday Concert by Andrew
Clements. Simon & Schuster. $15.95.
Ages 8 -12.
“The earth kept turning, and every
time it did, December 22 got one day
closer…” When popular eleven-year-old
Hart Evans fires a couple of rubber
bands to liven up chorus class, he has no
idea what he’s getting himself into.
Before he can stop it, the class elects
him director of the upcoming sixth grade
holiday concert, and the teacher, Mr.
Meinert, has no intention of reclaiming
the responsibility. As production day
nears, both the teacher and the student
learn a great deal—about school, about
life, and about their own powers to
influence others and to make things
happen.
The Last Holiday Concert is an
excellent novel for young readers. It
allows children to view schooling from
two perspectives (the child and the
teacher), and leads students to realize
that teachers are, in fact, human.
Clements’s characters are amusing and
authentic, and anyone who attended
public school in the last fifty years can
relate to the setting and situation.
Unavoidably, the concert comes to
hilarious fruition, followed by the
novel’s satisfying (though bittersweet)
ending. I highly recommend this book
for readers who have enjoyed
Clements’s other novels, or for any
student who enjoys stories about school
kids successfully doing more than they
thought they could.
—
Stephanie R. Gullage
The Miraculous Journey of Edward
Tulane by Kate DiCamillo. Candlwick
Press. $18.99. Ages 8-12.
This is a stunningly written tale of a
vain and proud china rabbit named
Edward Tulane, who is loved
wholeheartedly by a little girl named
Abilene. The self-absorbed rabbit, who
is indifferent toward Abilene, ends up
meeting a terrible fate aboard a cruise
ship and is separated from her. He goes
on an extraordinary journey living with a
fisherman and his wife, a hobo and his
dog, and a young girl who is ill. He
becomes a “girl” and a scarecrow; he
spends time underwater, in a dump, and
on a train. Along the way he learns to
love and at the end of the journey
Edward is transformed. Ibatoulline’s
detailed sepia tone illustrations begin
each chapter and give a preview of the
events of the chapter. Interspersed
throughout the novel are stunning color
scenes that are delicate and detailed and
just lovely. DiCamillo has written a
poignant story about love, loss, selfsacrifice and what is really important in
life–a touching story presented in a
beautiful way. –Anna Lincoln
The Sloppy Copy Slipup by Dyanne
Disalvo. Holiday House. $15.95. Ages
7-12.
The Sloppy Copy Slip-up is a
hilarious tale about fourth grader Brian
Higman, also known as “Big Hig,” Brian
does not have his sloppy copy writing
assignment ready to turn in, and his
teacher, Miss Fromme, is not one to
listen to excuses. Brian is left with only
one solution: use his storytelling
techniques to tell the truth. Brian is
forced to tell his classmates, his teacher,
and the school principal about his wild
and zany weekend of chaos including his
singing little brother, his older brother’s
rock band and a missing sock full of
money. This is definitely one you will
have to read to believe.-Christine Berry
Bang! By Sharon Flake. Jump at the
Sun. $16.99. Young adult.
The sounds of gunshots of
random shootings are frequent in
Mann’s neighborhood. There are so
many shootings that Mann and his best
friends are keeping a tally. Each member
of Mann’s family struggles to cope with
the death individually; no one really
understands each other’s grief. When the
father uses an old African tradition to
teach his son Mann and his best friend
survival skills, the young pair journey
throughout the city, naïve and
unadvised, searching their way back
home. Flake reminds readers of the
difficult times for children and their
families even when the family,
seemingly, has a secure two-parent
household environment. She ably
reflects the reality of inner cities. There
are no easy answers and no right way of
coping with death within a family or
within a community. Flake gives readers
the story of one family’s struggle to
remain a family. –Clemonce Mary
Turner Vincent
Graven Images by Paul Fleischman.
Illustrations by Bagram Ibatoulline.
Candlewick Press. $16.99. Ages 10-up.
Paul Fleischman’s 1983 Newbery
Honor book, Graven Images, has been
re-released this year with new
illustrations. Graven Images is a
collection of three stories, each including
a statue of some kind. The first story,
“The Binnacle Boy,” is a story of a
statue that holds the secret to the deaths
of a ship’s entire crew. Villagers begin
to confide their own secrets to the statue.
A deaf girl with the ability to read lips
discovers the identity of the murderer in
this calamitous tale. “Saint Crispin’s
Follower,” the second story, is a comedy
of errors. A shoemaker’s apprentice
decides to follow the advice of a weather
vane in the likeness of his patron saint.
He feels that Saint Crispin will point him
in the right direction in the matters of
love. The story ends happily despite all
the misfortunes he encounters. The last
tale is the darkest. “The Man of
Influence” is about a sculptor, running
short on patrons, who meets a ghost who
would like his image made into marble.
The artist agrees to create the statue with
the assurance that the ghost was a person
of influence before he died. After the
statue is completed, the true nature of the
ghost’s former identity is discovered.
In an afterword the author
describes the sound and style of this
work as “a mix of Greek myths and
Charles Dickens, Edgar Allan Poe and
Dylan Thomas.” Fleischman has
blended the styles of these authors to
create an intriguing read.–Anna Lincoln
Sometimey Friend by Pansie Hart Ford.
Carolrhoda Books. $15.95. Ages 9 –12.
Sylvia Freeman, an eleven-yearold girl is preparing to begin fifth grade
at a new school. Sylvia is struggling
because her mother who is biologically
her aunt has gone out of town, and
Sylvia is to stay with her 100-year-old
grandmother who is also her best friend.
But, Sylvia is worried about making new
friends in her new school, which does
turn out to be a challenge. Her best
friend who was supposed to help her
through her problems becomes the
biggest problem. Sylvia goes through a
learning process in which she discovers
that friends are essential and they can be
anyone and any age.
Ford captures one of middle
school children’s biggest problems:
making friends. Sylvia learns that good
friends are hard to come by, but when
they do she shouldn’t let them slip
through her fingers. This books teaches
many lessons on friendship to pre- teens
which they will value as they face
similar situations. Pansie Ford uses
description to paint a clear image of
what is happening at each point in the
story. Felicia Marshall has created
pictures that bring life to each character
enabling the reader to visualize the
characters and their personalities. This is
an easy read, and I would highly
recommend this book to a child nine and
above. - Courtney Hebert
Surrender by Sonya Hartnett.
Candlewick Press. $16.99. Ages 14 up.
Sonya Hartnett provides a
thought-provoking, dark story of
suffering, heartache, pain, and
psychological twists in Surrender. The
novel begins with Gabriel, a twentyyear-old, on his death bed, reflecting on
the life he has led in their small town in
Australia. With a weaving back and
forth of past and present, the book shares
all the pain that Gabriel has endured.
Chapters also alternate in first person
and third person through Finnigan,
whom Gabriel meets when he is seven
years old. What readers don’t know is
whether or not Finnigan is real or just a
manifestation of the suffering that
Gabriel, or Anwell as is his given name,
has undergone. Gabriel and Finnigan
share a dog, Surrender. Surrender
becomes a foundation for Gabriel and
things become drastic when Surrender
becomes an issue that causes a turning
point. The story contains much drama
with arson, an accidental death,
stakeouts, and possible patricide.
Hartnett uses beautiful imagery,
challenging material, and enchanting
metaphors to engage the readers in her
deep, rich novel and to draw the reader
into the mind of the tormented child. –
Dawn Murden
Flush by Carl Hiaasen. Random House.
$15.95. Ages 10-13.
Hiaasen continues the theme of
Hoot with this environmental story set in
the Florida Keys. The protected waters
are being filled with sewerage from a
local casino boat, only no one can prove
it. In order to protest the illegal
dumping, Paine Underwood sinks the
boat. However, Paine lands in jail, and
the casino is up and running the very
next night. With his father refusing bail
and talking to reporters, and his mother
threatening divorce, Noah Underwood
ends up the unlikely hero of the story.
Noah and his sister Abbey are
determined to save their parents’
marriage and prove their father is right
about the Coral Queen casino boat. With
the help of Hiaasen’s offbeat characters,
they do just that. There is the greedy exemployee Lice Peking who will testify
for a price, his tough-as-nails girlfriend
Shelly whose heart is bigger than her
biceps, and a mysterious pirate who
always seems to be at the right place at
the right time. Hiaasen delivers his
message about protecting our earth
without being preachy or pushy. His
humor-filled tension scenes made for
enjoyable reading. Lori Sykes
The Serious Kiss by Mary Hogan.
Harper Collins Publishers. $16.89. Ages
12 and up.
To say the least, Libby has
worries. School is a grind—of course
ninth grade always is—but her home life
is worse. With an alcoholic father, an
overeating mother, and two annoying
brothers, it’s no wonder she’s “a knotted
mass of anxiety, a walking cold sweat.”
These are not the things that concern
Libby most, however. Just when the
school situation begins to improve, she
learns that her family is moving. She
must leave her familiar surroundings and
make new friends, including a
grandmother she thought was dead. In
the course of the story, Libby learns that
change can be good, and that things are
not always as they seem.
The Serious Kiss is a coming-of-age
novel in which a normal teen must deal
with very real problems, both at home
and at school. The author presents an apt
handling of everyday teenage concerns
such as peer pressure and self-image.
Equally important is Hogan’s truthful
handling of a more grave concern:
Libby’s father’s alcoholism has
irreversible effects on his family, and
Libby suffers greatly because of it. Mary
Hogan’s novel teaches readers two
important lessons: first, sometimes,
things don’t go according to plan.
Second, just because life is not what we
want it to be, that doesn’t necessarily
mean there can’t be a happy ending. –
Stephanie R. Gullage
Day of Tears: A Novel in Dialogue by
Julius Lester. Hyperion Books for
Children.15.99. Ages 9-12.
Day of Tears uses the lives of the
people that were affected by the largest
slave auction in history to reconstruct for
the reader the events that transpired that
weekend. While many characters are
used to recreate the story, the book
mainly focuses on a slave girl named
Emma. Emma and her family are owned
by Pierce Butler, a very wealthy slave
owner that has acquired a great deal of
gambling debt. In order to pay off these
debts, Pierce chooses to auction off his
largest holding: his slaves. The auction
had become, to many of the people that
were involved, the most pivotal event in
their lives.
I really enjoyed reading this book
because of the dialog format that Julius
Lester used. The chapters were often
centered on one character, and together,
the characters and their stories created a
vivid picture of the auction. While the
auction was very real, some of the
characters and their lives are fictional.
The author’s notes at the end of the text
make it clear that Mr. Lester did a great
deal of research to preserve the
authenticity of the people and the event.
Lester also gives the characters—even
the slaveholding Butler—a great deal of
complexity that makes the reader
empathize with each of them. This book
would be a great teaching tool to educate
students about this very dark period in
our nation’s history. –Sarah Lemaire
Catch a Tiger by the Toe by Ellen
Levine. Viking. $15.99. Ages 10-13.
Ellen Levine has created a
believable, well-liked character with
intelligence beyond her years. Jamie
Morse, thirteen years old, faces the
typical teenage challenge of wanting to
be part of the in-crowd. To do this, she
must lie. Growing up in the 1950s during
the time of the “red scare,” she is forced
to keep family secrets. At times, Jamie
resents this and questions her parents’
political rationales. Things begin to
change when she finally becomes a
writer for the school newspaper. Her
inner strengths and weaknesses are
tested. Can telling the truth free her or
imprison her? What about those she
cares so deeply for? Caught in the midst
of an adult world, Jamie quickly finds
out that “yesterday is always today.”
Sticking true to the traits of what
makes a good book for young readers,
Ellen Levine includes a special note. She
explains that although Jamie is a
fictional character, the era in which she
grew was a fearful period for many. In
the 1950s, Senator Joseph McCarthy’s
tactics caused an uproar for many
Americans. Through this novel, youthful
readers cam make parallels to their
present lives while becoming aware of
this historical time. There are
discussions of First Amendment Rights
and a question of democracy.
Additionally, Levine admirably includes
a lengthy list of suggested readings
which authenticate the facts set out in
this absorbing fictional story.Myra
Mitchell
Clemency Pogue: Fairy Killer by J. T.
Petty. Illustrated by Will Davis. Simon
& Schuster. $9.95. Ages 8-12.
Clemency Pogue is attacked by a
wicked fairy and remembers the lesson
learned from the story of Peter Pan: “I
don’t believe in fairies.” Only when the
phrase doesn’t work the first time, she
continues to shout the phrase until the
fairy dies. With the help of a hobgoblin,
it is not her duty to set the world right
again. Cleverly written and humorous,
this page-turner will keep readers on the
edge of their seats to see what will
happen next.–Angela Shafer Collins
No Right Turn by Terry Trueman.
HarperTempest. $15.99. Ages 13 up.
With an explosive start by the
Michael Printz Honor winner (Stuck in
Neutral), No Right Turn hooks the
reader instantly. Jordan finds his dad’s
body after he committed suicide. The
suicide scene is well described and
realistic to the reader. The book takes the
reader through the struggles Jordan and
his mother must face after his father’s
death. Another complication arises when
Jordan takes Don’s corvette without
permission. He finally gets busted after
speeding. Reclaiming his mom’s,
girlfriend’s, and Don’s trust requires
dealing with his bottled emotions about
his father’s suicide. This compelling
read about the hardships Jordan faces
will resonate with today’s teens. –Angela
Shafer Collins
PICTURE BOOKS
The Goldminer’s Daughter- A
Melodramatic Fairy Tale by Jackie
Hopkins. Illustrated by Jon Goodell.
Peachtree Publishers $15.95. Ages 6-10.
Hopkins masterfully combines a
new storyline with a dash of the old fairy
tale classics. This cleverly written,
humorous tale takes place in the wild
west. The main character, Gracie Pearl,
must beat a deadline to find gold and pay
rent to save her Dad’s gold mine.
Meeting this deadline will also save her
from being forced to marry the evil Mr.
Bigglebottom, the rent collector. What
makes this book unique is that readers
are asked to interact when they see story
cues allowing readers to become active
participants. While reading, readers will
also see cameos of their favorite fairy
tales characters along the way! Readers
will find this book both challenging and
interactive. This page-turner is sure to
become a classic. –Nicole Rios
I Am Marc Chagall by Bimba
Landmann. Eerdmans. $18.00. Ages 7
and up.
Painting a first-person portrait of
Marc Chagall, one of the most
significant painters of the twentieth
century, Bimba Landmann uses lyrical
language that conveys Chagall’s unique
vision of the world. Loosely basing the
book on the artist’s autobiography,
Landmann tells of Chagall’s life in a
manner that engages the book’s youthful
audience. From ample detail about his
Jewish upbringing in Vitebsk, Russia, an
unlikely background for an artist, to his
ultimate success in Paris, the book’s last
page wrapping up the rest of Chagall’s
life seems a bit rushed. Nonetheless, the
perfect blend of text and art overcomes
this flaw.
Landmann captures the whimsical
delight of Chagall’s art through multimedia 3D art in which is embedded
reproductions of Chagall’s paintings.
Even the font that dances across the
pages in curved lines complements the
unique artist and his work. Including a
timeline of Chagall’s life, this stunning
book will be a wonderful addition to
classroom or library collections.
Valuable for both a study of biography
and a study of art, the book will hold
appeal for a wide age range.– Pat Austin
This Little Light of Mine illustrated by
E. B. Lewis. $15.99. Ages 5-9.
In this heartwarming version of
the African-American spiritual which
dates back to the days of slavery, the
acclaimed illustrator, E.B. Lewis
portrays the story of a young AfricanAmerican boy that lets his inner light
shine. The young boy passes on his inner
strength and light to a lonely friend and
teaches him that everyone can truly
shine. This book is uplifting for readers
of all ages to inspire them to be the very
best. -Christine Berry
Little Sap and Monsieur Rodin by
Michelle Lord. Illustrated by Felicia
Hoshino. Lee & Low Books. $16.95.
Ages 6-12.
Interweaving facts with a touch of
fiction, Michelle Lord shares the story of
Little Sap, a young Cambodian dancer.
The warmth in Lord’s writing resonates
as Little Sap leaves her working class
family behind to train as a royal dancer.
At a dance exhibition in France, sculptor
Auguste Rodin notices the hard-working
young dancer. In the end, Rodin gives a
gift to Little Sap helping her to
recognize attainment of “her family’s
dream for a better life.” In this short
picture book, Lord clearly develops a
sense of character and captures the
theme of dealing with both excitement
and fear. Readers of all cultures will
relate to Sap as she anxiously pursues
her talent. Appropriately complementing
the story’s authenticity are the soft green
tones and golden hues of Hoshino’s
illustrations. They depict the lush
Cambodian land and create a mood.
Young readers will also benefit from the
Foreword and Author’s note included in
the book. Setting the scene, Lord
provides a brief history of Cambodia and
explains Rodin’s Danseuse
Cambodginenne sketches which inspired
the book. Well written, this is a sure
winner for young booklovers. –Myra
Mitchell
NONFICTION
A Place for Butterflies by Melissa
Stewart. Illustrated by Higgins Bond.
Peachtree Publishers. $16.95. Age 8-12.
This book combines
environmental science and entomology.
In this beautifully illustrated non-fiction
book, readers learn what they can do to
help scientists save the butterfly
population. Stewart not only teaches kids
about butterflies, introducing them to the
various environments butterflies live in,
but also she tells readers what they can
do to help save butterflies from
becoming endangered. Who would have
guessed that butterflies could prosper in
areas where natural disasters take place,
in swampy and marshy environments,
and near electrical power lines similar to
that in Worcester, Massachusetts? Not
only does the information satisfy your
palette, but the colorful illustrations add
brilliance to the story. The colorful
acrylic illustrations look like canvas
pieces. The vibrant colors make the book
visually appealing to readers. This book
captures the interest of both novice and
expert butterfly lovers. It is a must read
for butterfly fanatics and kids who want
to make a difference, so butterflies can
be around for another 140 million years.
–Nicole Rios
Good Fortune by Li Keng Wong.
Peachtree Publishers. $14.95. Ages 1014.
In Good Fortune Li Keng Wong
tells the story of her family’s journey
from a poor village in China to San
Fransisco, California. Her father works
in the Bay area sending money to the
family to help them migrate to the place
they call Gum Saan, meaning Gold
Mountain, where the streets are paved
with gold. After a long expedition
across several countries and an ocean,
the Wong family is greeted with
unfamiliarity and streets paved with
concrete. They are forced to lie in order
to be admitted into the country, and then
run an illegal lottery business to survive
financially. Li Keng Wong, through the
voice of an innocent child, simply, yet
elegantly, tells of the highs and lows her
family meets in their new country and
how they survive. This book is excellent
for the young reader because the voice is
that of a young person making it easy to
relate to the narrator. Each chapter
leaves the reader hanging on the edge,
wanting to know the outcome. One
tragedy after another happens and one
can only hope the next chapter brings
good fortune as the title implies. The
content consists of family hardship and
struggles, which each person endures at
some point in life. This book
successfully captures the truth and
severity of immigration in a clear
language making it perfect for the young
reader. –Caroline Vanek
Editor: Patricia Austin
Reviews by undergraduate and graduate
students of children's literature.
Many thanks to the publishers who
support the UNO Children’s Literature
Examination Center.
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